FROM THIS EPISODE

Who is Rick Perry? What is Texas really like? And what's the role of religion in this year's Republican presidential nomination? We look for answers. Also, economic indicators are flashing red, and a new drug that helps obese mice might slow the pace of human aging.

Texas Governor Rick Perry's been a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination for less than a week. Although his number one issue is "creating jobs," in just six days, he's focused the chattering class on global warming, evolution and the patriotism of Federal Reserve Chair Ben Bernanke. Who is Perry? What's his record on public education and healthcare? Is Texas really a state full of drawling cowboys or a melting pot of diverse populations in dynamic urban centers? If the Republican race is now down to Perry, Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney – two Christian fundamentalists and a Mormon, what role will religion play in the nominating process?

For all those who experience life as quiet desperation, there are many others who dream of slowing the aging process. The latest hope is SRT-1720, a drug that allows mice to survive obesity longer than they do without it. By reducing fat in the liver and increasing sensitivity to insulin, it's allowed obese mice to live 44 percent longer than those which don't get it. Nicholas Wade reports on science for the New York Times. He's also the author of The Faith Instinct.